Work it Out.

Getting the time to work out is always a challenge for me.  Not so much that there is not time, but that I feel guilty for working out because I feel like I should be doing something else.  I hear that's common among moms, the feeling that no matter what they are doing they should be doing something else. 
The past several days I have been doing better actually "getting it done".  I have been getting on the elliptical for 10-15 minutes and then doing a great beginner 10 minute ab workout from BodyFit by Amy on YouTube.  If I have time I do her beginner 10 minute Cardio workout for weight loss.  In the past I have done workouts that basically killed me and made it difficult to walk for three days after.  This was fine in my early 20's, but now I just get hurt and have to quit working out for a week.  Obviously this is counter productive!  So I'm super excited about these new videos.  I am tired after the workouts, but don't want to die during them.  The following day I am sore, but not unable to function. 
I've made some diet changes that are pretty big also.  The soda that I've been drinking since high school has finally gone.  It's been almost three months.  This is by far the longest I've stopped!  And for the most part I don't miss it.  I'm so glad.  Also, the cookies and m&ms I was eating daily have gone, too.  Woot!  Now to kick out the chips during naptime and the ice cream after the kids go to bed and we watch TV. 

Homeschool has been going pretty well.  We seem to be into a routine for the most part.  With the break between baseball seasons I hope to do a bunch of extra read alouds.  Today we finished The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, by Gerald Morris.  It's from a series of books about King Arthur's knights.  It is so funny and entertaining, and the sentence structure and vocabulary is challenging and interesting.  I did have to edit a little bit as I read through it (nothing horrible, but I felt it was more teen stuff that I didn't want to read to my youngers), but we certainly could enjoy the book with no loss of understanding. 

We are continuing to read the Detrict Bonhoffer book from the Christian Hero's Then and Now series.  We had finished George Mueller (wonderful!!) and moved onto this and it's much harder for me to read.  So much political information.  I wonder how much the kids are actually understanding, but they are quiet and listen and I try to explain as best I can so we can hope!  Today we started the second book in the Annie Henry series.  Annie is the daughter of patriot Patrick Henry.  The first book was OK.  It was pretty deep because Annie's mentally ill mother dies, her father is gone all the time and a fire is set to their crops.  However, I find that these books stress the sacrifices that Patrick Henry made for liberty even at the cost of his family.  They were taken care of and loved, but he did put the nation first...not in a bad way though...more in a way to stress the importance of freedom and liberty.  Anyway, I'm hoping the second book will be a little more adventure and excitement.  I pulled out all our Rev. war books and put them in a basket in the living room in sort of a unit study.   One knows they have been homeschooling a long time when they can find 20 books on a subject around the house and not even have to go to the library! 

The baseball season ended this weekend and it was tons of fun.  The goal this season was for the kids to gain confidence and have fun.  It was accomplished!  Dan's team was so close to being undefeated.  They lost the last game to the K-bay team, but none of the kids seemed too upset since they had already beat them about 5 times this season.  Landon's and Thea's team had only won one game, but they managed to win the last game and end the season on a super high note. 

We also celebrated Thea's 9th birthday this weekend.  It was a crazy day with a soccer game and three! baseball games, but I really think she had a good one.  The night before Dan took her (along with quintin and his new buddy Josh) to a rock climbing gym for a special birthday date.  Her athletic, competitive self really loved that.  They stopped at Teddy's Bigger Burgers on the way home and she was in heaven!  We gave her horse things mostly for her birthday and a nurse barbie...she wants to be a nurse when she grows up. Dan has been taking her running on weekend mornings and he says she pretty much flies for the two miles and is hardly winded.  She LOVES to run.  I can't even think what I would have done if someone had told me I would have a BEAUTIFUL, blonde, thin, competitive daughter who likes to RUN of all things!!  I would have laughed most likely...until I looked at my husband and remembered he is all of the above. 

We have been praying for the Lord to send Quintin some good friends his age.  We were blessed to be told about a teen boys bible study that meets like half a block from our house!  He met some really nice boys there and, as I mentioned, went rock climbing with one of them the other night.  We're planning to take some boys with us to the next UH baseball game, too.  Can I just say it's funny to be in church and pray for friends for your son and come out and see him talking to two new boys his own age...who just happen to be homeschooled and really nice?  In the past I prayed for him to find good friends...when he was ready for friends.  I pray that he is and that they will be an encouragement and a blessing to each other.  I also have to say that a bible study leader for teen boys who brings bacon to every meeting is nothing short of a genius.  AND...yesterday I met new neighbors who have a homeschooled 16 year old son.  He went to bible study tonight and has just joined Q's scout troop.  Thank you, Lord.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.